A brand new house offers you more than upgraded amenities, modern floor designs and a vibrant lawn. When you purchase a new house, you get the luxury of waiting three or more years before you start performing general maintenance on the property. You could pocket $4,000 to $6,000 over those three years off the maintenance savings alone.

It’s a welcomed luxury that could create the wrong expectation. Just two years of a maintenance free lifestyle could tempt you to wait until something at your house breaks before you start conducting regular inspections,replacing worn parts and keeping your house up to code.

Regular maintenance on your home leads to huge cost savings

Wait until parts start to break and you could erase the entire savings that you built up during the first few years you owned your new house. Avoid that headache by making minimum performance checks and maintenance updates to your house. Included among the items that you should regularly inspect and repair are:

Fire alarms - At the minimum, check the batteries in fire alarms once a quarter. As a tip,if your fire alarms start beeping, it could be a sign that the batteries need to be replaced.

Check and replace fire extinguishers – A fire extinguisher should be checked at least once a year by a company that manufactures fire equipment. Certified home inspectors can also test fire extinguishers.

Look for frayed wiring – Repair frayed wires when you see them. Also,check breakers and circuit boards to see if they spark. Contact an electrician to replace damaged wires.

Uneven flooring – Bubbles in flooring could be a sign of water damage. Flooring can also bubble or become uneven due to wear and tear. Replace floor panels after they become misshaped, uneven or bubble. It prevents injuries and could help to keep more floor panels from becoming uneven.

Wall discoloration – Stains and discolorations on your walls could be a sign of a roof leak. A leaking roof could erode insulation and walls. Dampness can also create mold. Contact an inspector to check for roof damage and to see if there is interior damage to your home.

Roofing – Things to look for in your roof are rust, buckled shingles, torn rubber boots, discolorations and missing shingles. Replace missing or damaged shingles early and you could avoid having to replace your entire roof.

Lawn – Holes, dryness, patchiness and brown spots are things to check your lawn for. If you spot problems with your lawn, you may need to test the soil to see if it has become acidic or has too much alkaline. Holes in your lawn could also be a sign that pests are damaging your property. In that case,you may need to install lawn screens or put up a fence, especially if you have plants or vegetables in your yard.

Garage door – Pay attention and notice if your garage door sticks when you open or close it. Also, test your garage door automatic opener. Call a technician if the door sticks, the automatic opener malfunctions or the door becomes off balance. It could keep someone from getting stuck in your garage.It could also keep the garage door from falling on someone.

Pests – Spot pests early. Put down traps and apply environmentally safepesticides. A single pest left undetected could turn into a swarm.

These regular house inspections and maintenance steps could save you thousands of dollars. They also help you to enjoy your home without constantly feeling as if you’re replacing a part on your house. Each of the steps also helps to keep your house safe.

Being a homeowner can be a bit overwhelming at times. It can easily become difficult to juggle your homeowner responsibilities with your family and work obligations while still taking time for yourself to relax. It's a problem made even more difficult when you don't plan ahead for things like home maintenance. Aside from keeping your home in good condition, some maintenance issues are also safety issues, making them all the more important to find time to tend to.
So how can you make time to complete maintenance tasks and ensure you don't forget about them? In this article, we'll help you make a maintenance calendar that will help you hold yourself accountable to keep your home safe and in good condition.

What should be on your calendar?

Each home is unique and will require different types of maintenance. But in general, most homes share characteristics that can be applied to your situation. We'll break up maintenance into two categories: safety and upkeep.
Safety
For the well-being of you and your family, be sure to add these items to your list:

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors checked (monthly)

Smoke and carbon monoxide batteries changed (every 6 months)

Fire extinguisher checked (every 12 months)

Test door and window locks (every 12 months)

Upkeep
Many items in your home will stop working properly if you don't practice good maintenance. Some of the most important items to practice maintenance on are:

Seasonal maintenance

If you live in an area that has significant climate changes throughout the seasons, then there are an whole host of maintenance tasks required to prepare for the change of weather. Some common tasks include:

Turning off outdoor water to avoid frozen pipes

Replacing door screens with glass

Cleaning, installing, and uninstalling air conditioners

Sealing or repaving walkways and driveways

Cleaning chimneys

Dusting off heaters

Inspecting your roof shingles

Creating your calendar

Now that you know what to put in your calendar, its time to decide how you're going to make it. If you carry your smartphone with you everywhere and check it constantly, it might be a good idea to use a good calendar app, preferably one that syncs with your other calendars (work, Facebook, etc.). Google Calendar allows you to categorize calendar events by colors, sync between accounts, and invite others to events (such as when you need your family's help with something on your list).
If you're not big on technology, you could always keep a calendar attached to your refrigerator or in a frequented spot in the house that you and your family will remember to check often. Whichever method you choose, the important thing is to find one that works for you so that you don't forget these important items to keep your house, home, and family safe.